Ruth WallaceExtension Agent/4-H Youth DevelopmentBuckingham County

Kitchen ChemistryAn after-school/ out-of-school

approach to getting youth excited about science

Jennifer BowenExtension Agent/4-H Youth DevelopmentPrince Edward County

ABOUT THE 4-H SET INITIATIVE• 4-H is non-formal instruction organized along an

experiential path: Experience

Reflect

Generalize

Apply

• Brings cutting-edge research and resources of the land-grant university system to youth

• Hands-on

• Connected to life-skill development

WHY SCIENCE?

• Youth in the US are not prepared with the necessary science, engineering, and technology knowledge or workforce skills to compete in the 21st century.

WHY SCIENCE?

4% 4% 2%

26% 28%16%

37% 29%34%

34% 39% 47%

8th Grade

Source: 2000 National Assessment of Education Progress

Student Achievement Level in Science

Advanced

Basic

Proficient

Below Basic

4th Grade 12th Grade

WHY SCIENCE?Undergraduate Degrees in Science & Engineering

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

Japan China Germany UnitedStates

36%

59%

5%

66%

SOURCE: Rising Above the Gathering Storm, 2006

WHAT IS SCIENCE?• According to Webster's New Collegiate

Dictionary, the definition of science is "knowledge attained through study or practice," or "knowledge covering general truths of the operation of general laws, esp. as obtained and tested through scientific method [and] concerned with the physical world."

• Science includes: Observing what is happening

Predicting what might happen

Testing predictions under controlled conditions

Trying to make sense of our observations

KITCHEN CHEMISTRY• Science workshops can be conducted as:

Stand alone activities

Short-term after-school programs

Long-term after-school programs

Special day-long events for school holidays/out-of school time

Summer enrichment camps

KITCHEN CHEMISTRY

• Use common household materials

• Set clear expectations for student behavior

• Have sufficient supervision

KITCHEN CHEMISTRY• Let’s do some experiments!– Mystery Powders

– Diaper Duty

KITCHEN CHEMISTRY• Favorite Activities That You Can Eat– Study yeast and make bread or pizza

(biology)

– Study the chemistry involved in making peanut brittle (while you make it)

– Experiment with making cookies out of vegetable shortening, margarine, and butter

– Make ice cream in a bag – discuss the chemistry involved in solidifying the ice cream

KITCHEN CHEMISTRY• Favorite Activities (non-edible)– Mystery Powders (test properties of four white

powders to determine what they are)

– Science Inquiry at Its Best (explore chemical reactions by mixing various powders and liquids to note change in color, temperature, volume, etc.)

– Invisible Ink (write a secret message to a friend, trade and reveal messages)

WHERE TO FIND EXPERIMENTS• http://www.fatlion.com/science/

• http://www.education.com/activity/all-grades/all-grades/science

• http://homeschooling.gomilpitas.com/directory/Chemistry.htm

• http://scifun.chem.wisc.edu/HOMEEXPTS/HOMEEXPTS.html

• http://www.exploratorium.edu/science_explorer/index.html

• http://www.alkaseltzer.com/as/experiment/student_experiment.htm

• http://www.tryscience.org/experiments/experiments_home.html

• http://www.superchargedscience.com/sciencearticle4-kitchen-chemistry.pdf